Corsage mounting device



May 1, 1962 D. E. TODD ETAL 3,031,728

CORSAGE MOUNTING DEVICE Filed Sept. 25, 1959 INVENTORS Fla 8 DORIS E. TODD ALLEN A.WII LARD, SR

ATTOR Y.

United States Patent Ofilice 3,fl3l,723 Patented May 1, 1962 3,031,728 CORSAGE MOUNTlNG DEVICE Doris E. Todd, Los Angeles, Calif. (4251 Sepulveda Blvd, Sherman Oaks, Calif), and Allen A. Willard, Sr., 82--191 Tahquitz St, Indio, Calif.

Filed Sept. 25, 1%9, Ser. No. 842,450 2 Claims. (Cl. 24-5) The present invention relates to corsage mounting devices and, more particularly, to a new and improved device adapted to engage and retain natural or artificial flowers in a corsage arrangement and integrally provided with means for applying and maintaining the device in contact with the clothes or skin of the wearer in any desired orientation of the flowers with respect to the wearer.

There have been many attempts in the past to provide a device adapted to retain flowers in a corsage-like arrangement for attachment to the wearer. Such past attempts have been deficient in one or more aspects and, particularly, in their lack *of flexibility and adaptability in the types of floral arrangements, as desired. Of course, many corsages may be mounted in dififering positions with respect to the wearer. However, the basic arrangement of the flowers usually cannot be varied from the particular manner in which they are held by the device, thus limiting the desirable variations in position with respect to the wearer.

According to the present invention, there is provided a corsage mounting device having support means primarily comprising two layers of material, each layer having a sticky surface so that one of the layers will adhere to the other layer, and such other layer will adhere to the clothes or skin of the wearer, and including at least one flexible wire secured by and between the two layers of the support means and extending therefrom whereby the flowers may be placed upon the support means and the wires entwined about the stems of the flowers. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support means has a length greater than the width, a long wire is disposed between the layers along the length and extends from the support means at the top and bottom ends thereof, and a relatively short wire is looped through the upper layer of the support means through two apertures located near the center of the layer. Thus, the top and bottom ends of the longer wire may be used individually of each other for twisting about the stem or stems of one or more flowers while the ends of the shorter wire may be used either individually of each other to retain separate flowers or else twisted together around the stem or stems of one or more flowers for combined retention thereof. The blooms and stems may be directed in any direction or combination of directions, as desired, and the entire device may have any desired orientation with respect to the wearer.

Therefore, it is one of the objects of the present in vention to provide a corsage mounting device permitting selective variations in flower arrangements.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a simple and inexpensive eorsage mounting device.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a corsage mounting device which may be mounted to the clothes or skin of the wearer in any desired position and having flower retaining means which are nondirectional in use so that the flowers and their stems can be oriented in any desired position with respect to each other as well as with respect to the wearer.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a simple, inexpensive and labor-saving method of assembling a corsage mounting device.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the ea in appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FiGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view as seen along line Z-2 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view as seen along line 3-3 in FIGURE 2;

FKGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of the previously illustrated embodiment, showing its use in connection with several flowers in a corsage arrangement;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment or the present invent on having only one wire disposed in the lengthwise direction;

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of still another embodiment of the present invention having only one wire disposed in the widthwise direction; and

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the wires as seen along line 8-8 in FIGURE 3.

Referring to the drawings, there may be seen a support means, indicated generally at it comprising an upper layer ll. of preferably flexible material having an adhesive layer 12 on its underneath surface, and a lower layer 13 of preferably flexible material also having an adhesive layer 14 on its underneath surface. Generally, layers ii and 12, as well as layers 13 and 14, will be available in the form of adhesive tape, preferably transparent. The adhesive layer 14 is covered with a layer of non-adhesive material disposed in two portions 15 and 16 and joined at their respective pull-tabs l7 and 18 so hat the user can readily remove the non-adhesive portions l5 and Ed by simply pulling the tabs 17 and 13 in dividually. The general configuration of the support means may be seen to be preferably with a greater length than width. A first wire, indicated generally at 19, is disposed lengthwise between the adhesive layer 12 and the lower layer 13 so that their adhesion traps and secures the wire 19 therebetween with each of the ends 29 and 21 of the wire 19 extending from its respective end of the support means 16. Another wire, indicated generally at 22, extends through two apertures: 23 and 24- in the upper layer 11 so that the central portion of such wire is disposed widthwise between the upper and lower layers 11 and 13, respectively, with each or" its ends 25 and 26 extending therefrom in generally opposite lateral directions.

As seen particularly in FIGURE 4-, a corsage mounting device may be assembled in accordance with the present invention by a simple, inexpensive and labor-savmg method comprising the steps of disposing either one or more flexible wires l9 and 22 between the adhesive surface of one layer ll and the non-adhesive surface of another layer 13 so that the ends of the wires will extend either beyond the edges of the layers, as wire ends 2i and 21, or through apertures 23 and 24; in the upper layer 11, as wire ends 25 and 2e, and then pressing the layers 11 and 13 together so that the adhesive undersurface of the upper layer 11 will cause adhesion of the two layers 11 and 13 with the wire or wires secured therebetween for the provision of a unitary support means with flower-retaining wires extending therefrom.

Referring to FlGURE 5, a corsage arrangement is shown in which three flowers are secured in an in-line arrangement. The stem 27 of the upper bloom 23 is secured by all of the ends 20, 21, 25 and 26 of both Wires 19 and 22, the stem 29 of the middle. bloom 30 is 3 3,0 secured by both ends 25 and 26 of the widthwise wire 22 being twisted together thercabout and also by the lower end 21 of the lengthwise wire 19, and the stem 31 of the lower bloom 32 is held by just the lower end 21 of the lengthwise wire 19. In each case, the end of the particular wire is either looped or twisted about the flower stem. More than one flower stern may be held by any one or more of the ends of the wires. The middie flower may be replaced by at least two flowers separately held by the individual ends 25 and as of the widthwise wire 22- so as to vary the arrangement from the illustrated in-line arrangement. The device may be positioned upon the wearer either in the vertical orientation shown in FIGURE 5 or horizontally or in any other angular relationship, as desired. The disposition of the blooms with respect to each other may also be varied. The stems of the flowers, particularly in the case of artificial flowers, may be twisted, bent or otherwise convoluted about each other.

As seen in FIGURES 6 and 7, a corsage mounting device may be provided with either the lengthwise wire 19 or the widthwise wire 22 without the other for use in comparatively simple flower display arrangements. Each device may be provided with the non-adhesive portions 15 and 16 and their respective tabs 17 and 1.8 particuiarly illustrated in FIGURE 2.

Although FIGURES 6 and 7 illustrate separate articles, they may be utilized in combination by merely sticking the support means 33 shown in FIGURE 7 upon the upper surface 34 of the support means 35 shown in FEGURE 6 either before or after the flowers are arranged thereon.

As seen in FIGURE 8, the flexible wires 19 and 22 preferably comprise a flexible metallic core 36 with a plastic coating 37. The coating 37 may have a green color or any other color desired, and the colors may be mixed. if desired, the coating 37 may have an appearance simulating natural flower stems. The lengthwise wire 19 may comprise two separate pieces, each arms having one end portion secured between the layers with 40 the other end projecting exteriorly of the layers.

. While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention,

What is claimed is:

1. A corsage mounting device comprising-two layers of material each having an adhesive surface, said adhesive surface of one of said layers being adhered to the other of said layers, said adhesive surface of the other of said layers being adherable to the wearer of such device, said layers having a length and a width, and first and second flexible wires disposed lengthwise and widthwise, respectively, with IvSPCt to said layers and crossed at a right angle with respect to each other, each of said wires having a central portion secured by and between said layers and having its end portions extending exteriorly of said layers for individually twisting about the stems of flowers in retaining engagement therewith.

2. A corsage mounting device comprising an upper layer and a lower layer of material each having an adhesive underneath surface, said adhesive surface of said upper layer being adhered to said lower layer, said adhesive surface of said lower layer being adherable to the wearer of such device, said layers having a length and a width, a first flexible wire having a central portion disposed lengthwise between and secured by said layers and having ends extending exteriorly of said layers, said upper layer having two apertures located centrally in widthwise alignment, and a second flexible wire having a centr-al portion disposed widthwise between and crossing said first wire at a right angle thereto and secured by said layers and having two ends each extending through a respective one of said apertures and exteriorly of said layers, each of said ends of said wires being individually twistable about the stems of flowers in retaining engagemerit therewith.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 348,332 McLane Aug. 31, 1886 894,203 Harvey July 28, 1908 1,814,303 Finlay July 14, 1931 1,840,604 Randall Ian. 12, 1932: 2,486,593 Gardner Nov. 1, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 187,005 Germany Apr. 21, 1906 660,389 France Feb. 18, 1929 din- 

